


What I Like About You

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-19
Updated: 2009-08-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 15:39:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12413082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: Lily agrees to go out with James if he can think of ten reasons why he likes her.  Oneshot.





	What I Like About You

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**(A/N  Another Lily James oneshot.  It takes place awhile after James and Lily decide to be civil and friendly…or at least try.)**

            “Come on Evans, just go out with me! I’ve changed so much!” James said for what felt like the one hundredth time during his sixth year.

            “Maybe Potter,” Lily said actually contemplating the situation.

            “YES! I got a maybe!” James shouted doing a little victory dance around the common room.

            “If you can come up with ten good reasons why I should actually go out with you then yes,” Lily said smiling. 

            “Lily, I only need one.  I like you!  I thought you might have picked up on that after about third year,” James said to the red head standing before him.

            “Alright then, ten good reasons why you like me, and it can’t be physical things,” Lily told him before walking away.  James did another little victory dance.  _This is going to be the easiest thing I have ever done,_ James thought before he went up to his dorm to get parchment and a quill.  James had no clue how wrong he was.

            

            “Alright boys Lily Evans has finally agreed to go out with me.  I think we need to mark today down in history,” James announced back at the boy’s dormitory.

            “Seriously?” asked his three friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

            “Well, I do have to make a ten point list on what I like about her…but how hard can that be?” James informed the boys of his current situation.  Remus and Sirius exchanged a look that could only mean they knew James was in trouble.  “I just came up here to get my quill and some parchment.”

            “Well Prongs, you might want to start brainstorming.  Despite what you think this could actually take a lot of thought,” Remus informed him.

            “Oh please.  This is going to be a piece of cake,” James said laughing.

            “Cake? Where’s the cake?” Peter asked at the mention of his favorite food.

            “No Pete, It’s just an expression,” Remus told him, “There isn’t any cake.”

            “Ok, then while you three stooges discuss cake I’m going down to the common room to start my list!” James stated proudly and walked out the door.

            “I feel bad for him,” Sirius muttered shaking his head.

            Moments later James was sitting on a couch in the Gryffindor common room.  He was chewing on the end of his quill staring at Lily while he desperately tried to come up with his first reason.  James didn’t realize how hard this list could be.  He could think of a million physical reasons, her hair, her eyes, her nose, her freckles…the list goes on and on.  Just then his three friends came traipsing down the stairs.  Remus sat a table and began to do his homework.  Peter went over to the other sixth years to see if anyone had cake.  Sirius however, came over to James and said,

            “Want to go beat up Snape??”

            “Trying to quit.  Remember Padfoot?” James replied annoyed.

            “Oh right, well I’m going to go beat up Snape,” Sirius told him getting up and walking towards the portrait whole.

            “No, no, no,” James said following the boy, “I can’t pick on Snape which means you shouldn’t either.  Lily will get mad at you and connect it to me which will ruin the list!” Sirius just kept walking to the library where he knew the Slytherin would be. James followed him the whole way trying to protest.  The two boys got to the library not only to find Snape but Lily and her friends Mary and Alice.  

            “Dammit, come on Sirius let’s just go.” James began but he was too late.  Sirius was already marching up to Snape.  James tried to look like he wasn’t there by hiding behind Alice.

            “Potter what are you doing here?” Alice asked curiously, “And why are you hiding behind me?”

            “I have a reason just keep hiding me,” James told the brunette.  She raised an eyebrow at him but decided to let him hide.  James was entertaining to be around.  She figured she could use the amusement.  Unfortunately Lily noticed James at the exact moment that Sirius and Snape started hexing each other.

            “Potter do you have anything to do with this?” Lily asked warily.

            “No I swear I tried to stop him!!” James shouted.

            “Then why were you hiding behind Alice?” Mary asked.

            “Potter, seriously.  Black will you stop it!” Lily yelled.  

            “Sorry Evans I got bored,” Sirius replied smirking.  That was definitely not the right thing to say.

            “You got bored so you started hexing—LOOK OUT!” Lily shrieked as Snape sent a rather nasty curse at Sirius.

            “Awe you do care about me Evans,” Sirius said as he stunned Snape.  “How do you like me now Snivellous!”  Sirius yelled at Snape’s unconscious body.  He started doing a victory dance very similar to James’s.

            “Black I can’t believe you.  You were bored so you began to hex an innocent student.  I should dock points from you!  You are so!” Lily was insanely mad.

            “Oh come on Evans how can you call Snivelly over here an innocent student.  Just his mere presence pisses me off.” Sirius retaliated enjoying the argument.

            “James do something.  They’re arguing again,” Mary told him.  Sighing James got up from behind Alice and went to break up the fight.

            “Padfoot give it a rest.  I told you this was a bad idea.  Lily flower don’t blame him its Snape’s fault too,” James made his attempt at protecting his friend from Lily’s viscous temper.

            “First.  Don’t call me Lily Flower.  And Second.  How can you blame Severus?” Lily wanted to know.

            “THAT’S IT!” James exclaimed randomly.  

            “Um what?” Sirius asked waiting for an explanation.  However, James didn’t say anything.  He ran over to a table and started writing.

 

**_What I Like About You_ **

**_Ten reasons why Lily should go out with James Potter ; )_ **

****

  1. **_You stand up for people even though they don’t deserve your protection._**



****

 “I have my first reason,” James announced proudly holding up the piece of parchment.

      “What is it?” asked Sirius.

      “Im not telling,” James said his cheeks reddening.  

      “Come on.  Let us see,” Alice urged.

      “No, no, no, no one sees the list except Lily,” James told all of them which caused Lily to blush as well.  The sixth years then left the library leaving Snape stunned and on the ground with a librarian so immersed in the care of her books that she didn’t even notice a mild duel taking place.

      “Wow mate I think you actually have a chance this time.  Did you see how red her cheeks were,” Sirius said to James back at the guy’s dormitory.  James nodded proudly.

      “Moony can you believe it!? I made Lily Evans blush!” James exclaimed excitedly. 

      “Amazing Prongs,” Remus said from behind his book.

      “She loves me,” said James decidedly. 

 

 

**The next day…** James and the marauders were lounging in the common room along with Lily, Mary, and Alice.  It was a weekend so the seven had nothing better to do.  The girls were silently doing their homework however Sirius and Remus were in a very heated game of Wizard’s Chess.

      “Bloody hell Remus let me at least win this once!” Sirius said frustrated as Remus’s knight took out Sirius’s queen.

            “Sorry Sirius, that’s impossible.  Oh look James it’s your favorite group of people.  James looked up from the game to see the MFC.  Aka the Marauder Fan Club.  A group of slutty girls who united to love the four boys.  They seemed bent on destroying James’s chances with Lily.  They didn’t call themselves the MFC that was just a nickname Sirius had given the friends…Sirius thought it was rather clever.

            “Dammit,” muttered James very annoyed.

            “James,” cooed a really tall 7th year named Mary Beth, “Why don’t you and Sirius come over and sit with us?” 

            “No thanks Mary Beth.  We’re quite comfortable here,” James replied praying she wouldn’t beat him up.  Mary Beth was one of those tall scary brunettes that looked like they would beat you up if you ever turned them down.

            “I really think you should go Prongs, before she beats the crap out of you,” Peter suggested nervously as Mary Beth began to glare.

            “On second thought why not,” cried James pulling Sirius up with him.  “SAVE ME!” he mouthed over to his friends.  Unfortunately no one saw save for Lily who just smirked and went back to her work.  Mary Beth began leading James and Sirius over to a group of girls whose uniforms were definitely not school dress code.  

            “On third thought I have something to do!” James yelled a little too loudly.  He was rather excited he had just come up with the second item on his list.

            “Third thought?” asked Sirius curiously.

            “Shut up,” James said as the two jogged back over to their friends.  James pulled out his Lily list and a quill.  He began to add the second reason…

 

  1. **_You have dignity.  You are not an insane slutty member of the MFC and you will not torture me with excessive touching and feeling.  In conclusion, you have dignity._**



****

“There,” said James proudly, “My second reason.”  Lily began to blush furiously 

as she did every time the list came up.  

            “What is it?” asked Peter curiously.

            “Guys I told you only Lily can see the list,” James announced.

            “Well she’s going to show us anyway,” Mary said smiling.

            “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Remus said surprising everyone, “I mean who knows this list could actually turn out to be quite personal which would be something Lily would want to keep private.”  This caused Sirius and Alice to burst out laughing.

            “Prongs personal and serious? Yeah right,” Sirius said in-between laughs.

            “HAY! I could be serious if I wanted to,” James defended himself.  After all, Lily was still in the room and James would not let his friends make him look like an idiot in front of her…again.

            “Ok sure, whatever you say,” Peter said.

            “Come on you guys.  You know I can,” James said making a desperate attempt to save face.  He glanced over at Lily to find that she wasn’t red anymore.  In fact, she was laughing along with Sirius and Alice.  “Seriously I can be serious!!!!!” James was rather indignant. 

            Later that day in Defense Against the Dark Arts class James was becoming very annoyed.  He was sitting behind Sarah Charlotte, another member of MFC, who in the middle of class would hold up a mirror and twirl her hair with her wand and fix her stupid little make up that hid her stupid little face.  God he hated it when she did that.  In almost every single class Sarah Charlotte or one of those other fake girls would pull out their mirrors and begin to fix their hair.  When James told Remus of this problem the latter just laughed.

            “Prongs man you pull out your mirror in the middle of class too,” Remus was kind enough to point out.

            “Only when I need to talk to Padfoot!” James protested.  And then he suddenly dove into his bag for a quill. 

            “James?” asked Remus inquiring about his quizzical behavior.  

            “My list,” James said clearing things up, “I have another thing to add.”  With that the bespectacled boy pulled out a piece of parchment from the pockets of his robes and began to write.

 

  1. **_You are not fake.  You are not one of the girls who puts on make up in the middle of class.  In fact, you don’t even wear make up.  You don’t need it.  You are the opposite of those fake girls like Mary Beth and Sarah Charlotte.  You are one hundred percent real._**



****

In charms class James went on to discover the fourth reason he could not stop

thinking about Lily Evans.  The sixth years were sitting in class and Professor Flitwick had set them one of their most difficult tasks to date.  Try as he might James could not get his charm to work properly but of course Lily, who was sitting next to him reading a book, had already figured out the charm and was done with her work for the day.  

 

  1. **_You are brilliant.  Honestly, Lily Evans you are the smartest witch in our year and it amazes me how you can be so humble about it.  If I were you I would brag non stop about my pure intelligence.  But of course, you are the smart one and not I._**
  2. **_You, much unlike me, are not arrogant.  As I pointed out in reason number four you are so smart yet you act as though you are just one of us.  But Lily Evans the truth is you are so much better.  I have never met another person who is as kind and humble as you are._**



****

It wasn’t until after James had written his fourth reason that reason five popped into his head.

            “Moony! Wormtail! Padfoot! Guess what!” exclaimed James that night in their dorm.

            “You found a new passageway out of the school?” asked Sirius brightly.

            “You brought me back some food?” wondered Peter hopefully.

            “You discovered the thirteenth property of Dragon blood?” offered Remus.

            “I’m halfway done with my list!” James announced proudly.  The other three boys instantly groaned.  If you lived in the sixth year boys dorm you would to.  James Potter was infatuated with Lily Marie Evans.  James Potter never stopped talking about Lily Marie Evans.  The last thing these boys wanted to hear was more about Lily Marie Evans.

            In class, James usually didn’t zone out.  Ok so in class James usually didn’t zone out _completely_.  But today was a special circumstance.  James had a list to finish and he was using his time to study the elements of Lily.  After all, it was only Transfiguration class and James had that class covered.  He was at the top of that class.  His grades were even better than Lily’s.  So James decided Transfiguration class would be a good time to observe everything about Lily.

            “Now if I could have some volunteers please,” Professor McGonagall asked of the class.  James threw his hand lazily into the air but not before asking Remus what they were doing.  

            “Mr. Potter, Miss Evans would you kindly care to join me in the front,” McGonagall ordered more than suggested.  Both James and Lily got up and walked to the front of the classroom.  “Now we are doing human transfiguration and I have no doubt in Mr. Potter’s ability to perform this so if you wouldn’t mind Miss Evans please allow James to transfigure you into a dog and then back.  Mr. Potter right back, don’t dawdle,” Professor McGonagall was about to add another warning but she was cut off by Lily.

            “Excuse me but why should I have to be the dog why can’t I transfigure James!” Lily demanded to know.  You see, the fact of the matter is that Lily Evans is a perfectionist.  She always feels the need to be the best at everything.  The one thing that Lily wasn’t best at was Transfiguration and she was determined to change that.

            “Miss Evans I wasn’t aware that you would like to perform the spell instead I just figured,” McGonagall was cut off yet again but Lily.

            “Everyone assumes that James is so wonderful at Transfiguration.  If you don’t mind I would like to give the spell a try.  I’m sure you are skilled enough to fix any errors if I make them,” Lily said.

            “Miss Evans I did not know you were so adamant in performing this demonstration,” said the professor clearly shocked.

            “That’s another one!” James yelled from nowhere.  He pulled the list out of his pocket and was about to grab a quill of Professor McGonagall’s desk when Lily stopped him.

            “James not now, not in the middle of class,” Lily scolded him.

            “But it’s for the list,” he said taking the quill.

            “The list?” inquired Professor McGonagall as Lily blushed to the roots of her red hair.

            “It’s nothing Professor honestly,” Lily tried to assure their teacher.

            “Oh it’s something,” James said as he wrote reason number six.

 

  1. **_You are the most stubborn and determined person I have ever met.  You are perfect just the way you are yet you are always striving to be better.  I love really like that about you._**



****

Lily was still slightly red throughout the rest of class.

            The sixth years usually had one or two periods of free time which were usually spent in the library studying for NEWTS or just trying to complete all the work they needed to do.  James was currently sitting in the library along with Remus and a bunch of Ravenclaws.  The Ravenclaws were currently having a very heated discussion that the two marauders couldn’t help but overhear.

            “There’s nothing wrong with half breeds,” said a tall burly sixth year.

            “Yeah, I guess so.  I mean centaurs aren’t that bad but vampires totally creep me out.  And werewolves forget about it,” a petite blonde added in.  James could feel Remus tense up next to him.

            “Personally I don’t think half breeds should be aloud to exist.  I think we should just slaughter them all.  It would solve a lot of problems,” an egotistical boy who goes by the name of Amos Diggory declared.  James instantly jumped out of his seat and whipped his wand out of his robes.

            “Take it back!” James yelled pointing his wand in Diggory’s face.  Diggory’s Ravenclaw friends all laughed.

            “No I don’t think I will Potter.  What? You in love with a werewolf or something?”  Amos laughed scornfully.  James advanced with his wand raised.

            “Don’t bother James,” Remus sighed exasperatedly.

            “Take it back or I’ll hex you into next week!” James yelled looking even more menacing than ever.

            “That’s all you care about isn’t it Potter.  You and your hexes.  Your so mechanical and predictable.  You probably don’t even have the feelings a real person has.”  Amos growled at James.  At that exact moment Lily walked into the door flanked by Alice and Mary.  “And that’s why she will never like you.  Even if you do ever finish that silly list.  Lily likes real people, people like me.”  With that as a final word Amos stalked off and over to Lily.  Amos began talking to Lily and to James disappointment she looked genuinely interested.  All James could do was stare as Amos shamelessly flirted with the girl of his dreams.

            “C’mon Prongs lets get out of here,” Remus suggested.  The two left the library feeling like…complete crap.

            “Everything Diggory said was complete bull Moony,” James made sure to tell his friend.  Remus sighed, he was used to comments like that but no matter what James and Sirius always felt the need to stand up for him.  There were some people so big headed like Amos that would never change.

            “Thanks Prongs but you really shouldn’t have threatened him,” Remus said.

            “It’s ok.  He’s an ass who deserves to be put in his place,” James confirmed.  However, back at the common room James was feeling something very different.  James Potter was upset.  The only people who have really seen James upset are his fellow marauders.  This on the other hand was a very special case.  James sat right in front of the common room fire brooding.  He was brooding because apparently James isn’t a real human.  And before you judge him James takes things that people who are friends with Lily say seriously.  Because after all, if Lily is friends with them they are probably thinking along the same lines as her.

            So when Remus asked James if he was coming up to the dorms to go to sleep he just muttered something and waved his hand.  Which means leave me to my brooding Moony, in James language. Right in the middle of James’s brooding the portrait that is the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room swung open to reveal none other than Lily Evans.

            “Anyone down here?” Lily called out to what she thought was an empty common room.  James heard her voice and he instantly sat up from the couch he had sprawled himself out on.

            “No real people,” he answered bitterly.  Lily saw the top of his messy head sticking out over the back of the couch in front of the fireplace so she decided to join him.

            “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked sitting down next to the boy.

            “Evans, I mean, Lily, do you think all I care about is hexes or that I’m mechanical and predictable, which is why I don’t have the feelings a real person has?” James asked worriedly.  The last thing he needed was the girl of his dreams to be thinking along the same lines as Amos Diggory, even if the two of them were friends.

            “Of course not,” laughed Lily, “Sure you used to hex Snape every five seconds but lately it’s not so bad.  You care about your friends don’t you?” 

            “Yeah,” James replied, “And I care about you.” He added his face lifting as he formed something close to a smile.

            “You are definitely not mechanical or predictable,” Lily continued, “I swear I have no idea what is going on inside that head of yours.  You never cease to amaze me James Potter.”

            “Really? I, James Potter, amaze you, Lily Evans?” James asked proud of himself.  

            “Well sometimes yeah,” Lily said forgetting she wasn’t supposed to be able to stand being in the same room as the guy.  But lately, a certain red-head had a change of heart that up until quite recently she was refusing to accept.  “And I don’t think that you aren’t a real person.  You definitely seem like a real person to me.”

            “Yeah?  Well I thought so too.  Until Mr. Diggory decided he was ruler of the world and got to tell people if they were real or fake,” James muttered bitterly.

            “Amos said you were a fake person?” Lily asked bewildered.

            “Well, to be exact, he said I don’t have feelings like a real person which is why you will never like me…even if I finish my list,” James said now upset again.

            “Why would you listen to him Potter?” sighed Lily. 

            “What?” asked James surprised.

            “He’s just jealous,” Lily said as if it were painfully obvious.

            “Of what?! Me and my predictability?” James asked laughing.

            “Oh forget it,” Lily said leaning back into the couch.  James just smiled out her as he pulled out his list from the pockets in his robe.

            “Do you have a quill?” he asked.

            “Yeah,” said Lily pulling one out of her bag, “Why?”

            “To finish my list of course,” James told her as if was painfully obvious.  Lily blushed to the color of her hair.

            “I can’t believe you are actually making a list about me,” she admitted.

            “Well, if that’s what it takes,” James said and he began scribbling away.

 

  1. **_You are a good friend.  Even if we only decided to be civil to each other because we are Head Boy and Girl you have still been a really great friend to me._**
  2. **_You really know how to cheer people up.  Lily you have no idea how upset I was until you walked into the room.  Just your mere presence makes me happy._**
  3. **_You can see the good in others even when they can’t see it in themselves…_**



 

“Prongs Peter is not feeling so good do you mind getting him something from the 

kitchens,” Sirius called from the sixth year boy’s dorm.  Wow, that kid had a loud mouth.  James shot up from what he was doing.  If Peter wasn’t feeling well that meant bad news for all of them.  Between his moaning when they were awake and snoring, because his nose got clogged when he didn’t feel well, when they were asleep, the marauders were all miserable when Peter was.  

            “I’ve gotta run!” James said to Lily quickly and he turned and dashed out of the common room.  Lily laughed to herself as she looked down at the coffee table where James was writing.

            “Wait James you forgot your list!” she called, but it was too late.  The portrait of the fat lady had already slammed shut.  Lily’s curiosity was starting to get the better of her away.  Lily knew she shouldn’t read the list.  It was James’s private thoughts.  But then again, she was the person who told him to write it.  Slowly Lily picked the list up and began to read it.  Her jaw dropped as she read number one.  As she read number two her eyes popped.  She couldn’t believe James had all these wonderful things to say about her.  After she had been mean to him for so long he still had this list of things that no one had ever bothered to say to her.

            Lily bolted out of the common room with one goal in mind: Find James Potter and snog him senseless.  She glanced down the hallways and didn’t see a sign of him.  Luckily she knew her way to the kitchens.  Lily was so excited she broke into a run.  She had never felt like this before.  All she cared about in the world was finding James Potter and-BAM.  Just as Lily was turning the corner she ran smack into the very guy she was looking for.  The two were sent flying in opposite directions.

            “Ow,” muttered James rubbing his head and looking sadly at all the food he had dropped upon the collision.

            “Im sorry!” Lily laughed as she went over to help him pick up the food.

            “It’s ok Peter eats food off the floor all the time,” James said.  Lily shot him a look, “and I know a charm to clean it off.” He added in hastily.  “Wait a second,” James muttered, “We both know why I was running…why were you running?”

            “I was running to um use the bathroom,” Lily said as they walked back into the common room.  All the courage she had felt before completely evaporated when she fell on her back.  

            “But we have bathrooms in the house,” James pointed out looking adorably confused, in Lily’s opinion.

            “Fine, you got me, I wasn’t running to find a bathroom,” Lily confessed.

            “I didn’t think so,” James told her, “so tell me the truth, why were you running?”

            “So I could find you and do this.”

 

 

  1. **_Lily Evans you are the best kisser in the entire world.  No lie!  Oh did I mention, you are amazing at snogging?  Seriously, best moment of my life five minutes ago.  And now you are looking over my shoulder as I write this but I don’t care because I have finally finished my list and you have finally agreed to go out with me.  Lily Evans I don’t need ten reasons to go out with you.  I only need one.  And that is simply because I love you._**



****

****

 

 


End file.
